St George Slaying the
Dragon. William Silver Frith, to designs by Walter Crane c.1891 (the
Law Courts were officially opened in July 1891). Architectural
sculpture in terracotta over the entrance porch of the Victoria Law
Courts, Corporation Street, Birmingham. See here for the way the various pieces fit
together. This is the scene immediately below Harry Bates's seated statue of Queen
Victoria. It is very striking and graphic: the saint's expression
is fierce, his raised sword-arm is notably muscular and the dragon's
powerful claws grip the ledge of the arch even as the sword is plunged
deep into its mouth. Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use
these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational
purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your
document to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]

There are also four splendid figures in the spandrels on either
side of the arch, as well. All these are by Frith, too, to Crane's
designs. They are personifications of "Patience, Mercy, Truth and
Temperance, all attributes of Justice" ("Victoria Law Courts"). Though
hard to read through the protective netting, the qualities are named
on scrolls in the background. All four figures are striking examples
of New Sculpture fluency, with a certain
Art Nouveau
dreaminess, though Patience (on the right) is less dreamy than she
looks at first: she is straining to grip the leash of a fierce hound,
and holding it in check. Truth's dreaminess makes a bigger contrast
with the vigorous St George above.

The personification of Mercy extending her hand, with an
offering.

Below these two figures are another two, also female. Mercy (on the
lower left) also has her hand outstretched, this time in offering, and
Temperance (on the lower right), holds a bowl. Note that most if not
all of the other sculptural work here, which includes putti, dolphins,
floral and other kinds of patterning, is by William Aumonier
(Dungavell 75). This rich feast of fine carving must have contributed
greatly to the warm reception given to the new Law Courts (see Foster
17).